Module 1: Instructional Challenge

Read the following passage:

Hocked gems financing him, our hero defied the scornful laughter. Think of it as an egg, not a table, he said. Then three sturdy sisters sought proof, forging over vast calmness, and sometimes over turbulent peaks and valleys, until at last welcome winged creatures appeared, signifying monumental success.

 Answer these questions about the passage:

1. What are the hocked gems?
The first word that caught my attention is the word financing. I automatically think it has something that deal with money. I think hocked gems  has momentary value and can be trade in for cash. I think he has stolen the hocked gems for financial reason.

2. What should we think of as an egg and not a table?
I think he said to treat the gems like an egg because an egg can break easily. We have to hold it with care because it is fragile. Do not think of it as a table that is tough and can stand on its own.  

 3. Who are the three sturdy sisters?

I think they are like guardian angels that can bring peace and tranquility in the midst of chaos. Maybe the three sturdy sisters represent people that will be there to help with financial problems. For instance, family or friends will come to help relief stress and money issues. 

4. What kind of winged creatures appeared?

I think its three people like guardian angels coming to rescue him in his time of need. They got him out of the financial situation. Finally, he is free of all financial problems and become successful. 

If I were to use this passage with my students. First, I would read the passage to them aloud. Then, I would give them time to read the passage independently. I would give them an opportunity to read it and then discuss the meaning of the poem with a partner. After that I would get them together as a whole group to break down the passage. I would ask them to find words that they are familiar with and know the meaning of the words. I would remind them that a word can have multiple meanings. Next, I would ask the students to look for words that they have prior knowledge about. We would activate our schema to help us understand the passage. Next, I would introduce new vocabulary words that they are not familiar with. We would use online resources to help us define the unfamiliar words. The students would be divided into small group or work with a partner to define the meaning of the unfamiliar words.  Then the students would get together to share what they have collected. We would put all the information together to help us understand the passage. For this particular passage, I think it would be helpful to have the students work in small group because they can share their thoughts and ideas with one another. One person can interpret it differently from another person based upon their prior knowledge.